Elizabeth W., Before

Elizabeth W., Before

At the beginning of the 7-week 7 Years Younger (7YY) plan, Elizabeth, 42, vowed to ditch her “lazy food choices.” She hit the ground running by kicking her soda habit and eating breakfast every day — something she had never done before.

She attributes her continued success to planning ahead. She now spends Sunday afternoon prepping for the week by making granola bars and apple oat muffins that she saves for a snack or breakfast on-the-go.

Elizabeth is also hooked on hot yoga, which she discovered during the plan. “It doesn’t feel like exercise,” she says. “It’s meditative, too.” A class schedule hanging at her desk reminds her to make time for fitness. On top of that, she walks more, clocking three to five miles in a typical day.

Philip Friedman/Studio D

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Elizabeth W., After

Elizabeth W., After

Pounds lost: 25 (She lost 11 pounds in her first 7 weeks of the plan and then peeled off another 14 pounds in five months!)

Motivator: This October, Elizabeth is planning a 12-day trip through Italy with a friend who has been battling cancer. “There will be a lot of walking and hiking, and I wanted to get healthy and be supportive for my friend.”

Elizabeth W., Before

At the beginning of the 7-week 7 Years Younger (7YY) plan, Elizabeth, 42, vowed to ditch her “lazy food choices.” She hit the ground running by kicking her soda habit and eating breakfast every day — something she had never done before.

She attributes her continued success to planning ahead. She now spends Sunday afternoon prepping for the week by making granola bars and apple oat muffins that she saves for a snack or breakfast on-the-go.

Elizabeth is also hooked on hot yoga, which she discovered during the plan. “It doesn’t feel like exercise,” she says. “It’s meditative, too.” A class schedule hanging at her desk reminds her to make time for fitness. On top of that, she walks more, clocking three to five miles in a typical day.

Philip Friedman/Studio D

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Elizabeth W., After

Pounds lost: 25 (She lost 11 pounds in her first 7 weeks of the plan and then peeled off another 14 pounds in five months!)

Motivator: This October, Elizabeth is planning a 12-day trip through Italy with a friend who has been battling cancer. “There will be a lot of walking and hiking, and I wanted to get healthy and be supportive for my friend.”

Alex Beauchesne

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Winston L., Before

Winston’s friends used to tease him about his weight, but the 40-year-old shocked them with his impressive results. After the first few weeks on the plan, he noticed dramatic changes in his energy levels. “Running up the stairs to catch a train no longer resulted in my trying to catch my breath,” he says. “I felt less tired even though I was getting the same amount of sleep.”

Winston still follows the 7YY meal plan several days a week. The other nights of the week, when he cooks traditional Chinese dishes, he uses more vegetables and low-fat sauces, less sauce and salt, and olive oil instead of vegetable oil. He also relies on a pedometer to stay active, walking 10,000 steps a day, as recommended by the plan. If, come evening, he’s a few thousand short of his goal, he makes up for it before bedtime.

Philip Friedman/Studio D

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Winston L., After

Proud moment: Winston bought a pair of jeans on sale in 2011 and when he got home, he realized he couldn’t squeeze into them. Three weeks into the 7YY plan, he was able to fit into the jeans, which became loose after week 6 — now he has to wear a belt!

Advice for dieters: “To stick with the [7YY] plan, you don’t necessarily have to change too much of your lifestyle.”

Alex Beauchesne

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Leigh G., Before

The 55-year-old kicked off the program by eliminating most added sugars and trading her drive-through biscuit for instant oatmeal. The plan’s 3-4-5 guideline (300 calories for breakfast, 400 calories for lunch, and 500 calories for dinner) made it especially easy for her to follow. “The 7 Years Younger program is such a realistic one,” she says. “It doesn’t require a lot of thought or extra props. The recipes use ingredients you already have.” She even recommended the plan to her mother and sister.

Nowadays, Leigh keeps a yoga mat and a resistance band at the office; when she doesn’t have time to hit the gym, she’ll do a 30-minute exercise video during lunch. She also likes to walk around town, usually 2 to 4 miles at a time. “If I gain a pound or two, I don’t beat myself up. I know it’ll come off next week when I go to the gym.”

Philip Friedman/Studio D

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Leigh G., After

Lesson learned: Leigh loves to unwind with a glass of wine, and the plan taught her that she doesn’t have to become a teetoler. “You don’t have to give it up, you just have to compensate elsewhere. Sometimes, a wine spritzer works well and cuts the calories.”

Alex Beauchesne

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Robert and Jennifer Y., Before

Robert, 51, was skeptical about 7YY and thought it was another fad diet until he and his wife, Jennifer, 45, committed to the plan. Robert, in particular, never thought much about the food he put into his body or how frequently he ate. But now, they enjoy eating nutritious foods and sharing them with their two teenage sons. The couple makes salads and smoothies, and they’ve cut back on unhealthy carbs and fried foods. They grocery shop together and stock the house with fruit or nuts so that they don’t binge on junk food. They even managed to stick with their healthy habits on their summer vacation.

Halfway through the 7-week program, Jennifer noticed that her face looked less bloated, her skin felt softer, and her jeans were falling off! Robert’s clothes also fit looser, and he felt lighter. Losing weight recently motivated him to participate in a 200-mile bike ride through Vermont. “It was the best I felt in a long time.”

Robert and Jennifer Y., After

Why two is better than one: “It’s always easier to lose weight with someone,” says Robert. “Jen gets the credit for hoisting me back on the wagon when I stray.”

Philip Friedman/Studio D

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Michele F., Before

It’s hard to believe that the 61-year-old used to finish off her breakfast with two cookies. But she has completely overhauled her eating habits. Many of the 7YY recipes are still in her regular meal rotation. She’s aware now that snacks contain calories, too; when she’s hungry, she reaches for a small Laughing Cow cheese wedge, which she discovered on the plan. After dinner, she no longer pigs out on chips or ice cream in front of the TV and watches her portions throughout the day. “The program encourages mindful eating.”

Michele set out to look and feel great in time for her daughter’s wedding (held this past June). On the big day, she was happy with what she saw in the mirror. Her new lifestyle encouraged her to offer guests healthy options during cocktail hour. “I made sure we had fresh veggies, and not just cheese and crackers.”

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Michele F., After

Pounds lost: 13 (She lost 7.5 pounds in 7 weeks and then dropped another 5.5 pounds.)